Color chart



A. s. ALLEN Jul 9, 1935 COLOR CHART YELLOW GREEN 1 I 1) 6 W Yw sL YE m Y GM G VD RE Y.. M Y u Y PE RH P U J D P M F. B P w m 8 E DI BR PU D! N G BE 6% E GU B'- B INVEQTOR an hum S.

LATTORNEY July 9, 1935."

A. S. ALLEN COLOR CHART Filed May 5, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 9, 1935 Arthur S. Allen, New York, N. Y. i i Application -May 3, 1933, Serial No. 669,095

12 Claims.

This invention relates to color cards or charts particularly adapted for use in the selection of colors for painting, decorating, printing and the like.

1 One of the objects of the invention is to provide, a new and improved device of the above character.

, Another object of the inventionis to provide anew and improved card or chart wherein low,

middle and high Value colors are located in their relative positions.

t Another object of theinvention is to provide a new and improved device wherein low, middle and high value colors located in their relative positions are also located in their proper positions relative to their group opposites.

Another object of the invention is to provide new andimproved means whereby the variously colored areas on the card or'chart may be more readily exposed to the view of the observer Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved means whereby areas having desired color values may be more readily exposed to, the view of the observer than has obtained in devices of this character as hitherto constructed, said means also effectively hiding or masking the other colorvalues on the chart whereby light reflected from color values not desired to be utilized for a particular color scheme-will not find its way into the eye of the observer.

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed'o'ut hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be'exemplified in the constructionhereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In, the accompanying drawings; wherein Ihave illustrated a preferred form. of embodiment of my invention, I

Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved color card or chart, t

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof,

Figure 3 is aside elevationalview thereof,

Figure 4 is a plan view of the-bottom or the underside of the device,

Figure 5 isanelevational View of a portion of my improvedmask j t Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational view upon an enlarged scale, said viewbeing taken on-the line 6'-6 of Figure 1 and,

Figure 7 i is'a vertical sectional view taken through abortion of the,device, saidview being upon both sides.

taken on theline 1--| of Figure 1 of the drawings. Y

Referring now to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts through the several views thereof, the reference 5 numeral I denotes the foundation or support for the color card or chart designated generally by the reference numeral 2.- This support or foundation preferably consists of a Wooden board preferably planed so as to be true and smooth 10 The board is preferably of rectangular conformation as shown.

The color card or chart 2 is preferably of rec- 4 tangular form and is cemented to the upper surface of the board.

The card or chart 2, it will be noted in the present instance, is divided intotwo horizontally disposed sections, the upper section showing groups of the five simple colors, to wit: red, yellow, green, blue and purple arranged in that order from left to right V on the chart. The lower section of the chart has groups of the live opposites or the aforementioned five simple colorseach group of opposites being arranged directly below the particular group of simple colors of which it is an opposite. These opposites in the present, instance are blue-green, purple-blue, red-purple, yellow-red and green-yellow.

Thus the groups of blue-green are arranged directly below thegroups of red, the groups of purple-blue arearranged directly below the yellow, the groups of red-purple are arranged directly beneath the green, the groups of yellowred are arranged directly beneath the blue, and the greenyellow groups are arranged beneath the purple.

In the present instance each group of each of the simple colors is sub-divided into three groups, the sub-divisions of each group being the low, middle and high value of that particular color. 4.0 Thus, for instance, in the drawings the reference character L designates a group of three shades representing the low value of the color red, the reference character M represents a group of three shades representing the middle value of the color red, andthe reference character H represents a group of three shades of the high value of the color red. r L' Arranged directly under the low, middle and I high values of the color red are the subdivisions of the opposites of that group, the reference char}- acter L representing a group of three shades of the low value of the colorblue-green, the reference character M representing a group of three shades of the middle color values of the color 5 blue-green, and the reference character H representing a. group of three shades of the high value of the color blue-green.

Thus it will be seen, that not only are the colors and their opposites arranged in a certain predetermined relation, but corresponding shades of high, middle and low value of the colors and their opposites are arranged in a predetermined relative position or relation. This relationship between the low, middle and high values of the simple colors and their opposites is maintained upon the remaining portion of the chart.

It will be noted that the various color values are displayed in rectangular spaces, and that these color spaces are arranged in parallel rows longitudinally of the face of the chart, and that the several rows of color value spaces are spaced apart as indicated at 4, and that a wider space 5 separates the groups of simple colors from their opposites.

The reference numeral 6 denotes one of a plurality of endless traveling bands, there being a band for each row of color value spaces. These bands extend entireh around the chart board as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The bands are spaced apart, in the present instance, by metal screw eyes 1 threaded into the ends of the chart board. These screw eyes furnish a support for the rods 8 and 9 which form a bearing for members about which the endless bands are caused to travel. The rods 8 and 9, it will be noted, pass through the eyes of the spacing members 1.

The rods 8 and 9 are preferably made of material such as bone or celluloid, or any other material which may be polished so asto offer as little frictional resistance as possible to the sliding movements of the endless bands.

The bands 6 terminate a sufficient distance beyond their point of union as at Ill (Figures 2, 3 and 6) to form the finger holds II whereby the bands may be readily grasped by the operator as by means of these finger holds and moved in either direction upon their points of support.

The bands, it will be noted, are caused to move in directions parallel with the various color spaces.

Each of the bands 6, it will be noted, is provided with a plurality of apertures l2 which may be of any number desired but preferably a single aperture, a group of two apertures or a group of three apertures. I

In the present instance I have shown each band as provided with a single aperture and a group of three apertures. The bands can be manipulated so that any desired color can be exposed through a single aperture, or so that any desired group of color value spaces can be displayed therethrough, the remainder of the band operating as value spaces. Any other material may of course be substituted for the one preferred herein so long as it possesses the characteristics above set forth.

Referring again to the color chart itself, it will benoted that at the left of each subdivided group of each of the simple colors, and in 9. corresponding position with respect to each of the opposites of those colors, there is provided a rectangular space which is of a neutral color. These rectangular spaces of a neutral color, which I have designated N, extend below and above the marginal edges of the tapes. These projecting portions of the neutral color serve as markers to guide the user of the chart in positioning the traveling masks. Of course in the present instance an admixture of the color values in any subdivision .of a group and the direct opposites of those colors would form the neutral color, an approximate gray.

It will accordingly be seen that I have provided a device well adapted to attain among others, all the ends and objects above enumerated in a very simple manner, and that I have provided a device wherein a neighboring color can be readily shown with its own color or with its opposite at will.

It will be noted that on the upper and lower margins of the chart a word designating the particular adjacent color is written or printed, and that each color value of a particular group is designated by a letter or letters referring to the particular color of that group. This marking of the chart also facilitates the adjustment of the moveable masks.

The provision of the finger holds of the flexible material out of which the masks are constructed enables the chart board to lie closely adjacent the table top or other supporting surface.

' As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

1. A color chart, comprising one or more parallel rows of spaced areas each of which has a difierent color value, an endless flexible mask moveable endwise over each row of said color .value areas and in a direction parallel therewith,

said mask having openings through which said color value areas may be observed, and a tab upon each of said masks enabling it to be grasped by the operator to move the mask in either direction.

2. A color chart, comprising a suitable flat support, a color chart mounted thereon comprising a plurality of parallel rows of segregated areas having different color values, an endless mask encircling said support moveable endwise over each of said rows having openings through which one or more of said color value areas can be observed, and'means for moveably supporting said mask upon said support.

3. A color chart, comprising a rectangularly formed fiat support, a color chart mounted upon said support, said color chart comprising parallel rows of spaced areas, each area having a different'color value, an endless flexible mask moveable endwise over each row of said color value areas and in a direction parallel thereto, said mask having openings through which said color value areas may be observed, and means for so supporting each of said flexible masks upon said support so that they may be moved endwise in reverse directions over said rows of color value areas.' I

4. A device of the class described, comprising a suitable, flat, rectangularly formed support, a color card mounted upon said support, said color card having a plurality of parallel rows of spaced areas each of which has a different color value, an endless mask moveable endwise over each of said rows of color value areas, and said mask being provided with one or more openings through which desired color value areas may be viewed while the other color areas are obscured by said mask from the view of the observer, and a tab projecting downwardly from said mask adapted to be grasped by the operator to move the mask.

5. A color chart, comprising a suitable rectangularly formed fiat support, a card attached to the flat surface of said support, said card having one or more rows of independently positioned different color value areas, an endless flexible mask encircling said support and adapted to be moved over each rowof color value areas and having one or more openingsthrough which one or more color value areas may be viewed to the exclusion of the other color value areas in said row.

6. A color chart, comprising a suitable rectangularly formed flat support, a card attached to the flat surface of said support, said card having rows of independently positioned different color value areas, an endless flexible mask encircling said support and adapted 'to be moved over each row of color value areas and having openings through which one or more color value different color value areas, a plurality of endwise moveable masks superimposed over said rows of color value areas, said masks having one or more openings through which one or more color value areas in the same row may be observed and compared or color value areas of different rows may be observed and compared, means for movably supported said masks upon said support, and a marker of a neutral color upon said color card and interposedbetwe'en said masks.

8. In a device of the class described, a flat rectangularly'formedsupporting member, a rectangularly formed color card mounted thereon, said color card being provided with rows of independently positioned different color value areas, and a flexible endless mask encircling said support and adapted to be moved about said support, said mask having openings through which said areas may be viewed to the exclusion of the other areas, and a tab provided upon said mask underneath said supporting member adapted to be grasped by the operator to move the mask.

9. In a device of the class described, a flat rectangularly' formed supporting member, a color card mounted thereon having a plurality of parallel rows of independent difierent color value areas, a plurality of flexible'endless masks encircling said support, there being a mask superimposed over each row of said color value areas,

observed and compared with color value areas with another or others of said rows, means mounted upon each end of said support for supporting said masks, and means provided upon each mask whereby it may be moved by the hand of the observer.

10. A color card or chart having parallel rows of spaced areas of low, middle and high values of different colors, and a plurality of endwise movable, flexible masks superimposed upon said rows, each mask being provided with one or more openings whereby low, middle and high Values of a simple color may be compared with other color values of the same color or with the low, middle and high values of another color, and markers of neutral colors interposed between said spaced areas and located between said flexible masks.

11. A color card or chart comprising a rectangularly formed member divided longitudinally into two sections, one section having a plurality of parallel rows of spaced areas displaying low, middle and high values of different colors, the other section having parallel rows of spaced areas displaying low, middle and high values of the opposites of the color values displayed upon said first named section each color value area of the first named section bearing a definite positional relation to the opposite color value area upon the second named section, and a plurality .of endwise movable flexible masks superimposed upon said parallel rows of color value areas of each section, each of said masks being providedwith one or more openings whereby color value areas of the first named section may be compared with one another and whereby color value areas of the first named section may be compared with color value areas of the second named section. i

12. A color. card or chart comprising a rectangularly formed member divided longitudinally into two sections, one section having a plurality of parallel rows of spaced areas displaying low, middle and high values or" different colors, the other section having parallel rows or spaced areas displaying low, middle and high values of the opposites of the color values displayed upon said first named section, each color value area of the first named section bearing adefinite positional relation to the opposite color value area upon the second named section, and a plurality of endwise movable flexible masks superimposed upon said parallel rows of color value areas of each section, each of said masks being provided with one or more openings whereby color value areas of the first named section may be compared with one another and whereby color value areas of the first named section may be compared with color value areas of the second named section, and means whereby said masks may be moved at will in directions parallel with said rows.

ARTHUR S. ALLEN. 

